Head-rest



(No Model.) l

A. E. LARRABEE 8u J. I. BANKS.

HEAD REST.

Patented Mar. 1,1898;

j UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT E. LARRABEE AND JAMESI. BANKS, 'OF BRISTOL, PENNSYLVANIA.-

HEAD-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,850, dated March 1, 1898. Application nea Jut@ 22,1897. serai 110,641,815. (Numtel.)

.To all wil/0m t may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT E. LARRABEE and JAMES I. BANKS, citizens of the United States, residing at Bristol, in the county of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Head-Rests, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in head-rests for beds and the like, and has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, and effective device of this description which may be utilized in the place of a pillow and which will be far more comfortable, since the surface thereof more readily adapts itself to the contour of a persons head when lying thereon; and a further object of our invention is to so construct a headrest as to afford perfect ventilation beneath the supporting-surface, thus permitting the carrying away of the surplus heat which would otherwise be absorbed by an ordinary pillow and in warm weather increase the discomfort of the person.

A still further object of our invention is to provide for the adjustment of the supportingsurface to various angles to accommodate the fancy of different persons or the same` person at different times.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth,and then specifically designated by the claims.

In 4order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand'how to make and use the saine, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this speci.- fication, in which*- Figure l is a perspective of our improvement, showing the same applied to a bed; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof, the casing or covering being removed; and Fig. '3, a plan view, the covering likewise being removed.

In carrying out our invention as here embodied we provide a frame, preferably c-onsisting of tubing or rods so formed as to produce a base A from which uprights B project, and the forward portion of the base-rods `A are bent at acute angles, as indicated at C, and to the upper ends of -these angular portions of the tubes are hinged the adjust-- able rods D, as indicated at E. The adjustable rods D are preferably curved, as shown in Fig. 2, their upper ends passing through thev clips F, which are adj ustably secured upon the upright rods B and are adapted to be held in any adjustment by the set-screws G. By this arrangement it will be seen that the curved rods D may be adjusted to any angle by thevproper manipulation of the clips, and when so adjusted will be firmly held by the set-screws.

Two series of straps H are buckled around the curved rods D, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and the inner ends of these straps are provided with hooks I, by means of which they may be attached to the elastic loops J, said loops being secured to the spreader-rods K.

The spreader-rods K have the same curvature as the rods D and have stretched therebetween the canvas or other supporting-surface L, and by this arrangement this canvas will be drawn taut, and yet when pressure is brought to bear upon the upper surface thereof it will adapt itself to the object lying thereon and render the support thereof entirely comfortable to the person, and at the same time permit a free circulation of air beneath the supporting-surface, which-will, as before stated, carry away the surplus heat which would otherwise be absorbed and retained by an ordinary pillow. For appearance the whole device is covered by a suitable casing M of any desired fabric, such as muslin or linen, andwhen so arranged gives a neat appearance to the bed upon which it is placed, and this covering when becoming soiled may be removed and washed after the manner of a pillow-casing.

By our improvement an exceedingly comfortable head-support is provided, which may be used either upon a bed, lounge, or in other localities, and will be far more comfortable to the occupant than an ordinary pillow, while at the same time being superior from a sanitary point of view, since no feathers or the like are contained therein for the absorption of disease germs, and the entire device may bev cleansed by washing or otherwise.

While our improvement is especially adapted for use in warm weather, it is obvious that it may be likewise used in any temperature,

since the sides and back thereof may be inelosed, and when thus arranged a sufiieient amount of heat will be retained within the inclosure of the casing'.

The cost of the nntnufacture of a device of this description is exceedingly sinall, since the framework thereof maybe composed entirely of tubing and coupled together by the ordinary pipe-couplings.

llaving,` thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and useful isl. In a head-rest a frame consisting of a base, uprights projecting therefrom, clips slidable on the uprights and adjustably secured thereto, curved rods pivoted to the forward ends of the base-rods and extending rearwardly through the clips, a supportingsurfaee, and elastic connectionsbetween the supporting-surfaee and the curved rods, as and for the purpose described.

f. A head-rest of the character described consisting; of a rigid frame, curved rods pivoted thereto, a cross-rod terminating in clips through which the curved rods pass, setscrews for adjusting said el ips in any position, two series of straps attached to the curved rods, a supporting-surface, spreader-rods attached to said surface and elastic loops projeeting,r frein said rods to which the straps are attached, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The herein-described combination of the base-rods A, upright rods B, curved rods D pivoted tothe upturned ends of the base-rods, clips adapted to slide upon the upright rods, set-screws for holding the clips in any adjust-nient, said curved rods passing through the eyes of the clips, a supporting-surface, spreader-rods attached to the ends thereof, elastic loops secured to the spreader-rods, two series of straps buckled to the curved rods and attached to the elastic loops, and a casing,r for inclosing the frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

1n testimony whereof we have hereunto afiixed our signatures in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT E. LARRABEE. JAMES I. BANKS. Witnesses:

F. MATTNER, S. S. XVILLIAMsoN. 

